Dr. Lew Schon and his research partner Dr. Zijun Zhang joined Mercy in 2019 and immediately began expanding the hospital’s orthopedic services.

“Consider yourself fortunate if you find yourself under the care of Dr. Lew Schon when you have a foot or ankle problem,” said grateful patient Stephen Sparks. “Dr. Schon was referred to me after a botched Achilles tendon surgery. He evaluated every option to correct the problems. He is a master at surgery, but beyond that, Dr. Schon and his team were a delight to work with. It has been my pleasure to support the Mercy Health Foundation and Dr. Schon’s work. I know my contributions will go on to help the next patient, just as others’ gifts before helped me.”

Contributions to the Dr. Lew Schon Research Fund support groundbreaking research in state-of-the-art facilities at our new Center for Orthopedic Innovation. Thanks to philanthropic support, Mercy transformed a former operating room into the new Center, complete with an orthobiologic lab, cellular testing equipment, an anatomical lab, refrigerated storage, and a casework station. In this lab, our research continues to reflect real patient cases that will ultimately expedite the recovery process.

“We are extremely thankful for the individual donors and companies who helped us build this lab,” stated Dr. Zhang. “The ability to conduct research on site in real time is of tremendous benefit to our patients and to the medical community’s understanding of orthopedic issues.”

Under the leadership of Medical Director Dr. Clifford Jeng, the team of surgeons at The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction dedicate significant time to research. Last year, the department collaborated on a number of articles that appeared in medical professional publications, contributed to several medical textbooks, and presented lectures at virtual workshops and seminars to international audiences in Germany, Iran, Ireland, and Korea. Gifts from our grateful patients and grantors helped transform the way orthopedic care is provided across the globe.

Dr. Schon stated, “I’m very grateful to all the donors who helped advance our work. It’s incredibly moving to see the impact of their generosity on the care and services Mercy can provide.”